Tiptoe Through The Tulips
by Emeraldadrasteia
Summary: The Blue Spirit decides to take a chance by asking for help for once. Zutaraflavored.


A/N: Written for jakia's prompt at the avatarficathon lj community. Takes place between "The Chase" and "Bitter Work" (whether it's AU or "behind-the-scenes", you can decide). For the sake of a nifty timeline, I used my authorial canon-bending skills to assume that Sokka begs the rest of the Gaang to catch up on all the sleep that they lost during "The Chase".

Also, I can give no promise of medical accuracy when it comes to the description of Katara's method of medical treatment. I tried to be as true to real-life burn treatments as I could, but any weirdness in such a description can and should be attributed to the general mysterious scientific principles that govern the Avatarverse (I mean, people who can create and shoot fire? Come _on_).

**Tiptoe Through The Tulips**

She had offered, right? She had been willing to help. That's the important thing. True, his reception had been a bit harsh, but... given the circumstances...

She _had_ to help him. She just had to.

With that mantra, Zuko ties his mask and begins his descent down the canyon.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
She shakes against the bed of rocks, waiting and groaning for sleep to overtake her. She had counted the pebbles near her ear, buried herself into her pillow against Toph's snores, and paced along the walls of the canyon restlessly.

Nothing works. Alas, Katara was not made to sleep during the lazy hours of the afternoon, even though she desperately needed the rest.

The day devoted to sleep was proposed by none other than Sokka, who was so alarmed over having missed his sleep (thanks to those insane Fire Nation girls) that he opened his musty sleeping bag once again after they reached the new campground, and shut his eyes. Aang and Toph stared curiously at her brother for a few minutes before their own weariness caught up to them and beat their tired eyes into sleepy submission.

And now she lays here in the shadowed valley, glaring at the occasional hopeful lizard-vulture, and she hates all of the nothingness.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
They cannot be far. This much he knows. They all had been tired, even the insufferable bison.

But it is still difficult. Zuko only continues his path because of two footprint sightings and one of them might have easily been that of an overlarge platypus bear.

When the trail leads him to a steep, craggy gorge, he doesn't know whether it is a reward or another trial.

All he knows is that elbow grease will be involved either way.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Somehow, Katara knows that the slight pitter-patter of crumbling rock meant trouble.

She was no earthbender (the sounds were too light anyway) and she couldn't quite pinpoint the source of the noise, but something from her instincts (What? Was she now taking after Sokka?) tells her that it heralds a possible unwelcome visitor

When a particular (sleeping, lightly snoring) airbender is involved, this is never a good omen.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It is that last stretch of rock between his body and the ground that breaks Zuko's determination, despite being so close to the ground, and to his goal. He twists about uncomfortably in his black garb against the unbearable heat and his sweaty fingers slip from the crumbly crevices- _one, two... three..._

It is not so much of a scream that he lets out; it is more like a strangle cry as he hits the ground. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The good news is that neither the Avatar nor the crazy Water Tribe warrior hears his strangled fall (or even that new earthbending girl, for that matter). Better yet, the three of them are deep asleep.

The bad news is that the _girl_, the one who matters right now, sees him. And nearly screams.

Zuko hurriedly puts his finger to his lips. Her eyes widen more, but she obliges and closes her mouth, watching his ornate mask with caution.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Zuko whispers (she hugs her knees tighter). He looks over her companions and adds with an afterthought, "Or them."

That much only seems to comfort her slightly.

"Who the _hell_ are you?"  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_I don't know anymore; I'm still trying to find out._

Zuko shakes his head and blink. Dear Gods, the frustrating climb down had gotten to him. Soon enough he would be as crazily philosophical as Uncle Iroh...

_Oh._

"I need you to help me," Zuko says. "I need a Healer."

"How do you know that I'm a Healer?" She still seems quite calm (considering he had just more or less jumped upon her campsite), if only annoyed. And more guarded.

_Oh great. Skepticism. The biggest hurdle of them all._

"Word gets around, you know. People talk about the Avatar and his friends, and, when I think of possible help, I listen."

She doesn't say anything, but something in her eyebrows submits to his story. For Zuko, that is enough. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"You still haven't answered my question: who _are_ you?" she demands, crossing her arms.

"I am from a family that has traditionally fought against the Fire Nation forces, by stealth or other means, to defend the Earth Kingdom. My father and I were on a mission and he was hurt by a skilled Firebender..."

It is built, false brick by brick, until Zuko marvels at his own castle of lies. He almost _envies_ his own disguise, with his loving close-knit family and its dedicated purpose. The adoring younger sister was surely some embellishment, but he saw, in the waterbender's eyes, unmistakable sympathy (or was it empathy? Damn it, he always confused the two).

"Wow, no wonder you need my help, the wound must have been serious," she replies in awe. "What did you say your name was again?"

Zuko cleared his throat.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"So, did you really climb _all the way_ down this canyon, Li?"

Zuko gave himself an internal scowl. He had no idea why he had ever chosen such a _stupid_ name. It reminds him too strongly of that Song girl. Or maybe that other Li, the boy with betrayal in his eyes.

"Yes."

"You must be an earthbender!"

"Oh no!" There is a limit to lying and Zuko has enough trouble controlling his firebending during the course of this mission. He casts about for an alibi, an explanation, but the girl waves him off.

"Of course, you aren't." She slides her eyes in the direction of a tent of rock, undoubtedly built by the (now snoring) earthbending girl inside. "You're too quiet."

She laughs and he, not knowing how to respond, starts climbing once again, if only to emphasize the urgency of their trip

Still, he is such a _quiet_ boy. It worries Katara as she accepts his hand to lift herself onto the plateau (Would he do that if he weren't sincere? Or was that just another feint in a ploy to hurt her/Aang/Sokka/Toph/all of them? But the plight of his father sounds serious...).

Against her will, against all caution, she craned her neck over her view of the canyon, pinpointing the sleeping forms of Aang, Sokka, and Toph, making sure that they were still there and not kidnapped while she had left or anything of that nature (it wasn't that much of a climb, but still, if something had happened--)...

"Is everything okay?" The mask in front of her hides the true emotion behind the question (impatience? irritation? concern for _her_ well-being?) and jolts her to reality of his situation.

"Uh, yeah. Let's hurry, shall we?"

She mutely follows him.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_He fights against the Fire Nation Army. He can't be here to hurt me?_

_Then what about Jet?_

_He's not like Jet. He wouldn't hurt innocent people, I'm sure._

_Then what are those broadswords on his belt for?_  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
An open stretch of dusty road and grass lies in front of them.

One last trek to the shambled hut is all that remains, a simple walk to the house, and another journey back to the canyon, and Zuko will be _done_. Relief could not possibly encompass the meaning behind that emotion.

"What exactly do you do to resist the Fire Nation?" she asks.

_What would "Li" do?_

"Sabotage," Zuko replies, watching her crinkle her eyebrows.

"Meaning... what?"

"We attack forts. Soldiers. Regiments. We save prisoners-of-war. We gather information through means of stealth, and, if it is crucial, we relay it to the army at Ba Sing Se."

"What about innocent people?"

"What do you mean?" _Since when have civilians been concerned with this?_

"How do you deal with them?"

"I... uh, I'm not sure what you mean."

She blushes at this. _Why?_

It is just so embarrassing to admit her mistakes to a stranger.

"I once met a boy named Jet. Tall, strong, athletic, charismatic, the whole package..."

She trails off, looks up at Li and, Oh Spirits, her face just gets _hotter_...

They are now almost there. Zuko can spot the shack's silhouette growing against the setting blood-red sun.

"-Aang and I had no idea about his plot. We had trusted him. For Tui's sake, I had _liked_ him. A lot. And he had liked me. In pretense, probably. Whatever. But then, when I saw his true face... I got angry."

Zuko nods grimly. "And what about your brother?"

She gives a small smile. "Sokka is twice as smart as I am, and his heart is the biggest of anyone that I know. While Aang and I were being stupid and blind, Sokka was actually warning the Fire Nation town and helping them evacuate in time. He was the one who saved them."

Zuko swallows. "Your brother is a very honorable person."

"I know."

"Killing soldiers on the battlefield is one thing... but _civilians_--"

"--Yeah. It's different."

They quietly trip up the broken steps and Zuko slides the door open.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Katara enters the dilapidated house and sees the body in the middle of the floor. She edges closer and finds herself face-to-face with...

A mask.

A red one, similar in style to Li's counterpart, covers the (rather hefty) man's face and hair.

"Well," she chuckles as she washes her hands and repositions the body to slowly take off the tunic from the area of the burn wound, "I think I can see a clear family resemblance. Although, you've probably gotten your 'complexion' from your mother."

The wound in question is swollen and red, palm-sized and spread over the man's chest like a Pentapox.

Katara kneels next to the body of Li's father and winces as she gingerly touches the wound.

"What's wrong?"

"He might have internal damage. You have gauze, right?"

He silently brings out three rolls. More than she would ever need for treating _ten_ people.

_He's really worried about his father._

_Well, he should be._

_**I** would be._

"I also need a knife."

"Why?"

"The only way I can try to treat his internal injury is if I cut through his skin."

"Oh." He pulls out his dagger and hands it to her.

She glances at the inscription-_Never give up without a fight_-before inserting it into the burn.

Li brings a pail of water to her ("It's sterilized."), which she dips her hand in before peeling back the layers of skin.

Katara works quickly, using the water in her waterskin to treat the injuries inside. She watches as Li looks away, trying determinedly to not see his father in such a condition.

Curious, for a boy man who has probably seen his share of hurt in this violent world.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Zuko finally turns his head to watch her almost lovingly wrap the gauze around his arm. It is as if she _cares_ about the will-being of Uncle.

_Why would she do this for me? Why would she do this for **anybody**? How can she just trust everyone? She doesn't question me at all. It makes no sense._

The last rays of the sun disappear into the west, leaving a pink-purple haze across the indigo sky.

Li's father is finally healed, his wound dressed to the best of her ability. He is still motionless, but Katara can hear breathing behind the mask, so she does not worry too much about it.

She joins Li on the front doorstep.

"I think your father is okay now, Li."

Li nods. "I'll escort you back. Hopefully, they won't notice that you were gone."

Katara snorts. "You're talking about Aang and Sokka. They'd sleep forever if we didn't have a schedule to keep to. And Toph is pretty bad herself. It'll be fine."

"Um, I'll, uh, grab a lantern so we don't have to walk in the dark."

He runs in, flicks his hand at the oiled wick of the lantern, and runs back out.

Katara cocks her head. "That was quick."

Zuko tries to shrug half-heartedly. "I do it all the time."

"Well," she takes the lantern from his hand, brushing against his glove, "we better start now."

Zuko finds himself gaping at her retreating form before he runs to catch up with her.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Wait."

"Li, we're here." She gestures to the canyon below (as if he would ever miss it).

Zuko swallows once more. He can not afford to mess this up ("Li" will never see Katara ever again).

"No, listen. I-I just wanted to thank you. For doing everything. I'm not good at being grateful, but I truly am thankful to you. I'm sorry I have nothing to pay you back with."

"Actually," Katara begins, smiling widely, "there is _something_ you can pay me back with."

"Name your price."

"One hug."

Zuko blinks.

"A hug?"

"Sure. Why not? I don't know when I'm going to see you again and I am glad I was able to help you today. We both need something to remember each other by. What do you say?"

"Uh... sure."

Li tentatively opens his arms and Katara slides in, wrapping her arms around his muscular (Oh _my_!) middle. He moves in closer and she feels the cool lower lip of his mask slide over her neck.

"Thank you _so much_," he whispers in her ear and she, momentarily startled by his deeper, softer voice, just grins and half-mumbles into his shoulder, "You're welcome."

_This feels good._

_This feels right._

He almost wishes he could take off his mask and let her see him, the real him, by the dim light of the lantern. But that is foolish talk.

He has never been so close to a girl before, no less a _waterbender_, but he enjoys this too much to let go. But that is foolish talk.

And, _oh Agni_, a small part of him wants to actually _kiss_ her, run his lips over hers and then...

No.

This is a fool named Li hugging a girl named Katara.

Zuko is not a fool and he is not the honorable, brave, daring, caring Earth Kingdom warrior Li who goes after a girl named Katara.

He is a prince. A fire Nation prince hugging a waterbending peasant out of necessity as she has healed his father uncle and now he is going to let go.

Now, he is going to let go ("I really hope we see each other in the future, Li," she whispers in his ear).

_Now_, he is going to let go ("I don't know, Katara," he replies. "I'll try.")

Okay.

_Now_, he is going to—

Katara lets go.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Sorry, but I think it's time for me to go now."

"Okay," he says. "Yeah. Uh, do you need help? "

"Actually, I think I'll be fine. It's actually not that far down."

"But it's dark. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Okay, bye."

She waves at him and Li The Fool takes over Zuko's body and waves back. Like an idiot. With broadswords.

"Bye."  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Zuko trudges back to the hut, grabs a broom and brushes away the footprints, all the evidence of Katara having ever been there. In the end, as he sweeps away the track of sand in the house onto the ground outside, the only proof is dust on dust.

Neither Katara nor Uncle Iroh will ever find out the real truth behind everything.

It is only when the first rays of the sun break across the sky that Zuko is satisfied and decides to wake Uncle Iroh.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
When it rains, the canyon bleeds.

Toph can feel the smooth, sinuous water scrape and break the sturdy stone, forming red and orange rivulets in the valley.

Oddly, as Sokka grumbles about moving the camp to higher ground, this is when Katara is once again, after a long day of worrying about Sokka and working with Toph and Aang, reminded on Li.

Her little secret mission.

And, despite this muddy, horrible weather and Sokka's ever-present scowl, she smiles to herself.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_fin_  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_  
_


End file.
